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Randolph County History and Information

Randolph County Facts

See D.O.T. Maps for a Detailed County Map

Randolph County, the state's largest county, was created by an act of the Virginia General Assembly in October 1786 from Harrison County. According to the first national census taken In 1790, Randolph County had the smallest population (951) of the nine counties that were then in existence and fell within the current boundaries of West Virginia.

County Seat - The act creating Randolph County provided that the first meeting of the county court was to take place at Benjamin Wilson's home in Tygart's Valley, about three miles south of present-day Beverly. The meeting took place on May 28, 1787. Jacob Westfall, Salathiel Goff, Patrick Hamilton, John Wilson, Cornelius Bogard, John Jackson, George Westfall, Henry Runyan, John Haddan and Jonathan Parsons were the Justices of the Peace, with Salathiel Goff serving as President of the Court. Jacob Westfall was county's first sheriff, John Wilson was the county's first clerk, William McCleary was the county's first prosecuting attorney, and Edward Jackson was the county's first surveyor. John Haddan, John Jackson, and Cornelius Bogard shared the county assessor's duties.

It was decided at the first meeting of the county court to build a courthouse on an acre of land donated by James Westfall. Westfall's property was located in present-day Beverly. Oral tradition suggests that several citizens from Leading Creek attended the first meeting and requested that the courthouse be constructed there. However, they only offered to donate land for the courthouse, whereas James Westfall also offered to provide the timber for the courthouse's construction.
Beverly was originally known as Edmundton, honoring Edmund Randolph. In June 1787, James Westfall asked the county court for permission to lay out a town on his property. The town was renamed Beverly, honoring Governor Randolph's mother, by the Virginia General Assembly when it chartered the town on December 16, 1790.

Elkins, named for U.S. Senator Stephen Benton Elkins, a railroad magnate, lumber king, and wealthy banker, became the county seat in 1900, following a three year battle with Beverly. At one point during the dispute over which town should serve as the county seat, a special train was formed at Elkins to mount an attack on Beverly. The attack was averted at the last moment, but only after the Elkins' residents were assured that the county seat would be moved to Elkins.

County Name Origin - The county was named in honor of Edmund Jennings Randolph (1753-1813). He was born on August 10, 1753 in Williamsburg, Virginia to John "The Loyalist" Randolph (1727-1784) and Ariana Jennings. A graduate of William and Mary College, he studied the law and, in 1776, was appointed Attorney-General of the Commonwealth of Virginia. When the Revolutionary War broke out, he enlisted in the Continental Army and eventually became an aide-de-camp to General George Washington. After the war, he was a delegate to Continental Congress (1779-1789) and a leading member of the Philadelphia Convention that wrote the U.S. Constitution. During the Constitutional Convention he proposed the famous Virginia Plan. He later refused to sign the Constitution because his plan was only partially adopted by the delegates. He then served as the Governor of Virginia from 1786 to 1789. In 1789, he was appointed the Attorney-General of the United States and remained in that position until 1794 when he was appointed the U.S. Secretary of State. He left that office in 1795 and retired to his home in Virginia where he was active as a national leader in the Masons' organization. He died on September 13, 1813.

See also Extended History for more historical details.

Areas adjacent to Randolph County are Tucker County (northeast), Pendleton County (east), Pocahontas County (south), Webster County (southwest), Upshur County (west), Barbour County (northwest). Randolph County Cities and Towns Include Beverly, Bowden, Coalton, Dailey, Dryfork, Elkins, Ellamore, Glady, Harman, Helvetia, Huttonsville, Job, Kerens, Mabie, Mill Creek, Mingo, Monterville, Montrose, Norton, Pickens, Valley Bend, Valley Head, Whitmer, Womelsdorf, Wymer

Official County Government/ Community Website
Randolph County, West Virginia History Books at Amazon.com
Family History Library - The largest collection of free family history, family tree and genealogy records in the world.

Randolph County Court Records

See Also West Virginia Land Records, Marriage Records, Court & Probate Records

PLEASE READ!! Please call the clerk's department to confirm hours, mailing address, fees and other specifics before visiting or requesting information because of sometimes changing contact information.

Randolph County Clerk has Land Records from 1787, Marriage Records from 1787, Probate Records from 1787 and Birth & Death Records from 1853 -Present and is located at the Courthouse, P.O. Box 368, Elkins, WV 26241; 304-636-0543, Fax: 304-636-5989.
The County Clerk's many duties include some of the following: the issuance of marriage licenses, birth and death certificates, record births, marriages and deaths in the county, serve as the recorder of all documents, prepare and send to all heirs a Notice to Redeem and take care of publications, redemptions or recording deeds with regard to delinquent property, issue military service discharge records and probate wills and assist in administration of estates.

Randolph County Clerk of Circuit Court has Court Records from 1787 and is located at the Courthouse, 2 Randolph Avenue, Elkins, WV 26241-4099; 304-636-2765, Fax: 304-636-3700 .
The County Clerk of the Circuit Court's many duties include some of the following: Serve as the Clerk to the Circuit and Family Court, Issue mesne (during the progress of a case) process, Issue final process to enforce and execute judgements, Appoint guardian ad litem where required, Responsible for all papers filed in the office; serve as registrar, recorder and custodian for all pleadings, documents and funds pertaining to cases filed in circuit court and family court, Responsible for the administration and management of the petit and grand jury systems in the county

Since West Virginia was part of Virginia prior to 1863, see Virginia Databases for all records before that date.

Constructed between1808 and 1815 and in use until 1899, the old Randolph County courthouse in Beverly is one of the earliest existing example in West Virginia. It is a two-story brick building with a symmetrical, three-bay facade, matched by a similar facade on the side. In the 1830s, additions were built onto the south and east facades of the building to house offices for the county clerk and circuit clerk. The bell tower was also added in the 1830s. The courthouse was constructed before Thomas Jefferson’s rejection of British colonial architecture and his promotion of classical symbolism could influence building styles in rural western Virginia. The old Randolph County courthouse is a fine illustration of architecture common in colonial America. It’s vernacular design and form resemble a type of courthouse that had been in existence since the mid-1700s.

Below is a list of online resources for Randolph County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Randolph County Court Records by clicking the link below:

West Virginia Marriage Records, 1863-1900
Randolph County, West Virginia Court Books at Amazon.com
West Virginia Immigration & Emigration Records - Immigration records help the family historian to understand the movements of their ancestry as they relocated to different parts of the world.

Randolph County Vital Records

See Also Research In Tax Records

While people were taxed in Virginia prior to 1782, not many tax lists for that early period have survived, and the originals that have survived are at the Virginia State Library. Colonial period taxes were imposed on the personal property of males who were twenty-one and older, and called "tithables." While there is no comprehensive list or collection of early tax lists, many fragments are printed throughout Virginia genealogical literature

West Virginia has one of the most complete sets of old tax records in existence. Land tax records dating from 1782 to 1936 for all counties, with some through 1959, are available at the Archives and History Library in Charleston. Most county clerks have duplicate copies in their offices. As noted in the section on Virginia, the Virginia State Library has the original unindexed personal property tax records from 1782 to 1863.

Below is a list of online resources for Randolph County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Randolph County Tax Records by clicking the link below:

Randolph County, West Virginia Tax Books at Amazon.com

Randolph County Genealogical Addresses

The Repositories in this section are Archives, Libraries, Museums, Genealogical and Historical Societies. Many County Historical and Genealogical Societies publish magazines and/or news letters on a monthly, quarterly, bi-annual or annual basis. Contacting the local societies should not be over looked. State Archives and Societies are usually much larger and better organized with much larger archived materials than their smaller county cousins but they can be more generalized and over look the smaller details that local societies tend to have. Libraries can also be a good place to look for local information. Some libraries have a genealogy section and may have some resources that are not located at archives or societies. Also, take a special look at any museums in the area. They sometimes have photos and items from years gone by as well as information of a genealogical interest. All these places are vitally important to the family genealogist and must not be passed over.

Below is a list of online resources for Randolph County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Randolph County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:

Randolph County Historical Society, PO Box 1164, Elkins, WV 26241; Phone (304) 636-0841
Historical Society of Helvetia, General Delivery, Helvetia, WV 26224
Local West Virginia Researchers, Find a local researcher or become a local researcher.
West Virginia Archives and History, The Cultural Center; 1900 Kanawha Boulevard, E.; Charleston, WV 25305-0300. Read here before requesting research
Publication: West Virginia History. This facility consists of the library, archives, and a museum containing materials from 1760 to present.
West Virginia Genealogical Society, Post Office Box 249, Elkview, West Virginia 25071
West Virginia Historical Society, PO Box 5220, Charleston, WV 25361
West Virginia Newspapers & Periodicals Records - Newspapers and periodicals are the diaries of local communities. They are excellent sources of family history details - often recorded nowhere else. Look for obituaries, marriages, legal notices, and more found in our Historical Newspaper Archives.
West Virginia Genealogical Society Books at Amazon.com

Randolph County Church & Cemeteries

Click Here to Search West Virginia Obituary Records! - This database is a compilation of obituaries published in U.S. newspapers, collected from various online sources. Obituaries can vary in the amount of information they contain, but many of them are genealogical goldmines, including information such as names, dates, places of birth and death, marriage information, and family relationships.

There are many churches and cemeteries in Randolph County. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the Randolph County Tombstone Transcription Project.

Many religious groups have deposited their records at the West Virginia and Regional History Collection. Church record inventories compiled as part of the Historical Records Survey are available there and at the FHL. For a complete discussion of early church records, see Virginia-Church Records.

The most extensive collection of West Virginia tombstone inscriptions was compiled by the Historical Records Survey. Available at the West Virginia and Regional History Collection and on microfilm at the FHL, the collection includes inscriptions through 1939-40. The DAR and others have published volumes of cemetery records.

Below is a list of online resources for Randolph County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Randolph County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:

Find Obituaries in The World's Largest Newspaper Archive at NewpaperArchive.com! - Find thousands of West Virginia obituaries to help you research your family history. Search for a West Virginia newspaper obituary about your ancestor or a celebrity. Begin your search today and find death notices and funeral announcements printed in newspapers from West Virginia.
West Virginia Cemetery Readings, 1941
Randolph County, West Virginia Cemetery Books at Amazon.com
Randolph County, West Virginia Church Books at Amazon.com

Family Trees & Genealogy Tidbits

Click Here to Search West Virginia Family Tree Records! - The use of published genealogies, electronic files containing genealogical lineage, and other compiled sources can be of tremendous value to a researcher.

When view family trees online or not, be sure to only take the info at face value and always follow up with your own sources or verify the ones they provide. Below is a list of online resources for Randolph County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Randolph County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:

Search 60 Years Of Everton Data: For the first time ever you can get access to more than 150,000 pedigree files and family group sheets from Evertons. Learn More
Search the Family Tree DNA Project- Use DNA testing to break through your genealogical barriers!
Sites on USGenweb: [ Randolph County ] [ West Virginia ] [ Main Page ]
[GenForum Message Boards] [Rootsweb Message Boards]
Genealogy Encyclopedia: General Abbreviations, Early Illnesses, Nickname Meanings, Worldwide Epidemics, Early Occupations, Common Terms, Censuses Explained, Free Genealogical Forms
Nichols and Related Families of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virgina.
West Virginia Family & Local History Records - The Family & Local Histories Collection lets you read journals, memoirs, and other first-hand historical narratives right on your computer. Gathered from some of the world's finest libraries, these materials may provide hard-to-find town, county, and state information; tax records and wills; military, church, and court records; as well as photographs, stories, and maps.
Pioneer Index of Randolph County, 338 pages of original records and oral histories, illustrated with pen and ink drawings. Excellent addition to your West Virginia genealogy.
Genealogical Document Search and Retrieval Service
Randolph County, West Virginia Family Books at Amazon.com

County History

The First Settlers

The first native settlers in West Virginia's Potomac Highlands (Grant, Hampshire, Hardy, Mineral, Pendleton, Pocahontas, Randolph, and Tucker counties) were the Mound Builders, also known as the Adena people. Remnants of the Mound Builder's civilization have been found throughout West Virginia, with many artifacts found in the Northern Panhandle, especially in Marshall County.

The following is a brief history overview:

Several thousand Hurons occupied present-day West Virginia during the late 1500s and early 1600s.
During the 1600s, the Iroquois Confederacy (then consisting of the Mohawk, Onondaga, Cayuga, Oneida, and Seneca tribes) drove the Hurons from the state and used it primarily as a hunting ground.
During the early 1700s, the Shawnee, Mingo, Delaware, and other Indian tribes also used present-day West Virginia as a hunting ground. West Virginia's Potomac Highlands was inhabited by the Tuscarora. They eventually migrated northward to New York and, in 1712, became the sixth nation to formally be admitted to the Iroquois Confederacy. The Cherokee Nation claimed southern West Virginia.
In 1744, Virginia officials purchased the Iroquois title of ownership to West Virginia in the Treaty of Lancaster.
The Delaware, Mingo, and Shawnee sided with the French during the French and Indian War (1755-1763). The Iroquois Confederacy officially remained neutral, but many in the Iroquois Confederacy allied with the French.
When the French and Indian War was over, England's King George III feared that more tension between Native Americans and settlers was inevitable. In an attempt to avert further bloodshed, he issued the Proclamation of 1763, prohibiting settlement west of the Allegheny Mountains. The Proclamation was, for the most part, ignored.
During the summer of 1763, Ottawa Chief Pontiac led raids on key British forts in the Great Lakes region. Shawnee Chief Keigh-tugh-qua, also known as Cornstalk, led similar raids on western Virginia settlements. The uprisings ended on August 6, 1763 when British forces, under the command of Colonel Henry Bouquet, defeated Delaware and Shawnee forces at Bushy Run in western Pennsylvania.
In 1768, the Iroquois Confederacy (often called the Six Nations) and the Cherokee signed the Treaty of Hard Labour and the Treaty of Fort Stanwix, relinquishing their claims on the territory between the Ohio River and the Alleghenies to the British.
In April 1774, the Yellow Creek Massacre took place near Wheeling. Among the dead were Mingo Chief Logan's brother and pregnant sister. Violence then escalated intoLord Dunmore's War.
On October 10, 1774, Colonel Andrew Lewis and approximately 800 men defeated 1,200 Indian warriors led by Shawnee Chief Cornstalk at the Battle of Point Pleasant, ending Lord Dunmore's War.
The Mingo and Shawnee allied with the British during the American Revolutionary War (1776-1783). One of the more notable battles occurred in 1777 when a war party of 350 Wyandot, Shawnee, and Mingo warriors, armed by the British, attacked Fort Henry, near present-day Wheeling. Nearly half of the Americans manning the fort were killed in the three-day assault. Following the war, the Mingo and Shawnee, once again allied with the losing side, returned to their homes in Ohio. As the number of settlers in the region grew, both the Mingo and the Shawnee move further inland, leaving western Virginia to the white settlers.

Randolph County's European Pioneers and Settlers

David Tygart (or Taggart) and Robert Files (or Foyle) were the first settlers in present-day Randolph County. They arrived in 1753 (or 1754). Files built his cabin near Beverly and Tygart's cabin was constructed two miles to the north. The Tygart River and Valley are named in honor of David Tygart and Files Creek is named for Robert Files. That winter, Indians attacked the Files' cabin and killed him, his wife, and five of his six children. One of his sons was not in the cabin at the time of the attack and escaped. He ran to Tygart's cabin to warn him of the Indians' presence. They then left the county for good, moving east into Pendleton County. Eighteen years passed before the next settlers arrived in Randolph County. In 1772, several families moved to the area, including the Hadden, Conley, Whiteman, Warwick, Nelson, Westfall, Riffle, and Stalnaker families.

Important Events in Randolph County during the 1700s and 1800s

Two small forts were constructed in present-day Randolph County during Lord Dunmore's War in 1774. Fort Westfall was constructed at Beverly and Fort Currence near Huttonsville. The area's settlers gathered in the forts whenever Indians were known to be in the area. Isolated incidents between the settlers and Indians continued for many years. The bloodiest incidents occurred in April and May 1791 when an Indian raiding party killed about a dozen settlers in the county. Among those killed were Joseph Kinnan and three of his five children. They were killed on May 11, 1791. His wife was taken captive, and was not released until the Indians' defeat at the Battle of Fallen Timbers in 1794. A few days after the Kinnans were killed, the Indian raiding party killed Frank Riffle and William Currence. It is believed that they were the last settlers killed by Indians in Randolph County.

Most of Randolph County's residents sided with the Confederacy during the Civil War.

On June 3, 1861, about 1,000 Confederate troops commanded by Colonel George Porterfield were defeated by about 1,900 Union troops commanded by Colonel Benjamin F. Kelley at the Battle of Philippi. That battle is considered by many the first land battle of the Civil War. Porterfield retreated to Huttonsville where he was met and relieved of his command by General Robert Selden Garnett. General Garnett then merged his 5,000 Confederate troops with the 1,000 led by Porterfield, creating an army of about 6,000 troops. General Garnett then established several defensive positions throughout the Beverly-Huttonsville area. He was especially interested in defending a strategic mountain pass on the Staunton-Parkersburg Turnpike. On June 22, 1861, 20,000 Union troops, commanded by General George Brinton McClellan crossed the Ohio River by Parkersburg and used the B & O Railroad to reach Grafton the next day. They then marched to meet General Garnett's forces. The two forces then maneuvered for position for several weeks before finally meeting in battle on July 11, 1861 at Rich Mountain, just a few miles west of Beverly. The Confederate forces were defeated and forced to withdraw from the area. The victory was instrumental in General McClellan's later being promoted to commander of the Army of the Potomac.

Name Origin